Modern Myth explores the renewed interest in folklore and storytelling
by creatives from various countries and cultures. It shows us a
contemporary, multi-ethnic world, filled with infinite stories. From
movies, videogames and blogs to novels, design and art â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the
significance of mythological figures, patterns and motifs points
towards an expanding global visual culture where designers create
richer and more locally relevant products. Even in a modern context,
these tales of metaphorical creatures and adventurous heroes still fill
us with awe and wonder.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driving this trend?

CONTEMPORARY MYTHOLOGY
Myths are the stories people share to access their cultural identity and history. As more and more people share their stories and cultures online, ancient fables become
intertwined and modernised.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driving this trend?

MULTIPLE HISTORIES
The Performing Histories exhibition at MoMA in New York looks at how the history of all cultures is a kind of mythology, filled with both fact and fiction. The artists involved
explore how we tell the stories of our past and how new connections can be made across different cultures and times.

What’s driving this trend?

SCIENCE & STORYTELLING
MIT scientist and designer Neri Oxman believes “mythology is the real inspiration of all modern design”. Whether we call it myth or science, explanations for the origin of
man and the universe have always been sought. Today, the boundaries between science and storytelling are increasingly blurred.

Research & Reference

Cosmic folk creation

Digital mythology

Futuristic fables

Design fictions

Contemporary artists are weaving stories in a way that echoes traditional cultures from around the world. Peruvian quilting, kilim weaving and traditional Indian Gond
narratives all tell stories outside Western conventions; a single canvas showing an entire story through composition and interwoven geometries.

Architects and artists are tapping into the local folklore of regional landscapes, creating fairytale-like structures that embody the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. Part of the Living
Architecture initiative, FAT architects collaborated with Grayson Perry to build A House for Essex, a building inspired by fairytales and folklore on the east coast of England,
celebrating the psyche of the county.

The new music video Dinosaurs for Dubstep band 16bit is an illustrated mythological epic, featuring a montage of psychedelic storytelling.

Mythology is a way to decode our cultures. Artist Matthew Cox explores iconic mystical characters like the Indian god Krishna, viewed through electromagnetic radiation,
as a way of combining ancient mythology and modern science.

Eastern cultures take Western contemporary tales and rework them, turning them into established myths that make sense for a regional audience. The movie Endhiran the
Robot, an Indian science-fiction film, sees cloned robots transform into the Naga serpent from Hindu mythology.

In China, adapted ancient mythological characters and stories are used online as code to discuss censored topics. Characters like the Grass Mud Horse have become
popular icons among in-the-know society.

Designers are using less empirical concepts for future creations and instead turning to ancient stories, mythological beasts and their imagined superpowers as inspiration.
French artist ClĂŠment Briend combines the textures of trees with light projections to cast striking images of gargoyles onto the leaves, making them come alive.

Design fictions is a movement in design that creates products for an imaginary future world. Bruce Sterling describes it as â&#x20AC;&#x153;an approach to design that speculates about new
ideas through prototyping and storytellingâ&#x20AC;?.

Taking Jorge Luis Borgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The Book of Imaginary Beings as her source material, designer Neri Oxman has developed a series of garments infused with elements of the
super-human. Created using advances in 3d printing, each piece is based on a mythical beast and encapsulates a magical gift like invincibility, serpentine body armour or
maternity support from the goddesses.

The need to live in temporary, fictional societies and imagined, unplugged worlds is shown through the overwhelming attendances at festivals such as Burning Man,
Coachella and the newer Boomtown. Similar references are found in Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Supernatural music video by Animal Collective.

Key takeaways
• Mythology as a way to tell the story of today’s culture
• Architecture and craft explore ancient cosmic mythologies
• Using ancient craft in digital constructions
• Futuristic imagination and the re-emergence of sci-fi
• Design fictions – a storytelling approach to design